Turbine



May 8, 1956 A. M. HATCH 2,744,721

TURBINE A. M. HATCH TURBINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 3, 1954 M y w ,M M w d w w M /i null .MMUWIUW M E H Erb h United States Patent TURBINE Albert M. Hatch, Marblehead, Mass., assignor, -by mesne assignments, to Borg-Warner Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application November 3, 1954, Serial No. 466,536

Claims. (Cl. 253-32) The present invention relates in general to turbines and is more specifically concerned with turbines capable of being driven by a mud fluid such as is utilized in earth bore drilling operations in the oil well industry.

The present invention is particularly applicable to earth bore drilling apparatus of the type disclosed in the patent to A. G. Bodine 2,554,005, wherein the drilling is accomplished by a bit disposed at the lower end of an elongated massive drill rod which is vibrated at substantially the resonant vibration frequency of the rod. In such earth bore drilling apparatus it is necessary to provide a motor means at the lower end of the drill string for vibrating the massive drill rod and it has been found that the most practical method of obtaining the necessary energy to drive the motor means and thereby actuate the drill rod is to utilize the energy of the flowing hi'gh pressure mud fluid untilized to wash away the chips of earth formation broken away from the earth at the bottom of the bore hole. The aforementioned Bodine patent and the copending application of A. M. Hatch and G` A. Wood, Serial No. 462,158, filed October 14, 1954, both disclose earth bore drilling apparatus wherein a turbine is disposed at the lower end of the drill pipe string for taking the energy out of the flowing mud fluid and, in turn, driving a vibration generator which sets the massive vibratory drill rod in vibration at a frequency substantially equal to the resonant vibration frequency thereof. The present invention comprises an improvement over the turbine disclosed in said Bodine patent and in said Hatch and Wood application.

The mud fluid used in oil well drilling operations contains a certain amount of abrasive material or abrasive particles maintained in suspension in the iluid. These abrasive particles cause serious damage to the turbine blades due to erosion resulting from friction of the abrasive particles on the turbine blades. lt is therefore one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a mud iluid actuated turbine which includes means for minimizing the wear on the turbine and stator blades resulting from erosion by the abrasive particles maintained in suspension in the driving mud fluid. l

More speciiically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a mud fluid actuated turbine including means for removing the larger or heavier abrasive particles from the mud uid before it passes through the turbine elements and by-passing these larger abrasive particles around the turbine elements.

A still more detailed object of the present invention is to provide a set of centrifuging blades as an integral part of the turbine housing, which blades are effective to change the translatory movement of the mud fluid into rotary movement so as to centrifuge out the heavier abrasive particles. Suitable passages are provided for transporting the heavier abrasive particles around the turbine and stator blades and again returning the particles to the mud fluid lat a point beyond or downstream from the turbine elements themselves.

The foregoing objects and numerous others as well as 2,744,72 Patented May 8, 1956 ice numerous advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a fragmentary View disclosing a conventional oil well earth bore drilling derrick utilized for suspending an earth boring drill pipe string in an earth bore hole;

Fig. 2 is a view of the lower end of the drill pipe string having an earth boring bit'attached thereto and disclosing the general location of the turbine comprising the subject matter of the present invention; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional View of the turbine showing the principal features of the present invention.

Referring specifically to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals in the diterent views identify identical parts, as has been stated heretofore, it will be understood that the turbine comprising the subject matter of the present invention will comprise an integral part of a drill pipe string adapted to be supported in an earth bore hole by mechanism similar to that disclosed in Fig. 1. This supporting mechanism is conventional in oil well drilling operations and includes a derrick 10, draw works 11, driving rotary table 12, kelly 13 extending through table 12, swivel 14 coupled to the upper end of a fluid passage through kelly 13 and hook 15 supporting the bail of swivel 14. The hook 1S is suspended through a travelling block 16 and cable 17 from the top of the derrick 1t) and the cable 17 is wound on the usual hoisting drum of the draw works 11. Mud lluid, such as is conventionally employed in oil well drilling operations, is pumped from a supply tank or sump 19 through pipe 18 and is delivered under pressure by pumps 20 through a pipe 21 and hose 22 through the gooseneck `of swivel 14 and from this point the mud iluid ows down through the kelly 13 and into and through a drill pipe string 23 coupled to the lower end of the kelly 13.

The kelly 13 and drill pipe string 23 extend into a bore hole 24 which'extends downwardly into the earth. The bore hole 24 is lined or cased for a suitable`distance down from the ground surface by surface casing 25 which is supported by a landing flange 26 resting on a concrete footing 27 in the bottom of a pit 23. A blow-out preventer 29 is provided with a mud flow line or delivery pipe 31 which is shown as discharging ontoa conventional vibratory mud screen 32. The mud is led from the vibratory mud screen back to the sump 19 by means of a pipe line 33.

The drill pipe string 23 coupled at the lower end of kelly 13 comprises a conventional drill pipe .string made up of a number of drill pipe lengths 34 which may be coupled together by the usual tool joints.

In addition to the drill pipe lengths 34, the drill pipe string 23 comprises an elongated massive vibratory drill rod, such as is disclosed in the aforementioned patent to A. G. Bodine 2,554,005. This drill rod is designated by reference numeral 35 and is coupled to the lowermost drill pipe length 34. The drill rod 35 includes a bit 36 at the lower end thereof, suitable means for acoustically isolating the drill rod from the drill pipe string 23, such as disclosed in the copending application of H. V. D. Stewart, Serial No. 417,117, tiled March 18, 1954, suitable means for vibrating the drill rod such as is disclosed in either the Bodine patent mentioned heretofore or the copending application of C. K. Reh, Serial No. 470,176, tiled November 22, 1954, and an elongated rod 37 described in the aforementioned Bodine patent. The drill rod 35 also includes a turbine indicated generally by reference numeral 38, which turbine 38 comprises an improvement over the turbine disclosed in the copending application of Hatch and Wood, Serial No. 462,158, iiled October 14, 1954.

The turbine 38 comprises the subject matter of the present invention and will now be described in detail. The

turbine 33 comprises an external sleeve member 39 which is fastened to a vibration generator housing 4t) by a plurality of threaded bolts 41. The turbine housing sleeve member 39 is similarly fastened to a drill pipe length disposed immediately above.

The external sleeve member 39 is suitably cut away, as indicated at 42, for the purpose of receiving an internal sleeve member 43. The internal sleeve 43 is adapted to iit snugly within the inner periphery of the external sleeve 39 and abuts against an annular member 44, which, in turn, abuts an annular member 45 leading from a lubrication chamber not shown. At its lower end, the internal sleeve 43 abuts with annular member 46 which is provided with a radially outwardly extending7 flange 47 adapted to abut a generally cylindrical member 4S formed with a radially extending ange 49 through which bolts 41 extend. Suitable bolts 56 connect member 46 and member 4S together whereas suitable connecting rods 51 extend through longitudinally extending openings in members 52, 44, 43 and 456 in order to connect all of these members together. Suitable connecting bolts 53 connect annular member 45 with members 52 and 44. It is therefore apparent that the various members from 45 at the top to 48 at the bottom of the turbine are all interconnected so as to provide a unitary structure.

The member 52 is provided with a longitudinally extending liange 54 within which suitable centralizing bearing elements (not shown) are disposed in order to concentrically mount a driven shaft 55 at its upper end. The shaft 55 is concentrically positioned within the turbine member at its lower end by means of thrust bearings 56 disposed within a longitudinally extending ange 57 formed on the member 46. A suitable internal nut 58 and external nut 59 are provided for holding the thrust bearings 56 in assembly.

The shaft 60 is splined at the lower end of shaft 55, as indicated at 6l, and is adapted to drive the vibration generator mechanism disposed immediately below the turbine.

The annular member 52 is provided with a downwardly and longitudinally extending annular flange 62 while an annular member 63 suitably secured to member 47 by means of a plurality of bolts 64 is provided with an upwardly and longitudinally extending flange 65. rThe two flanges 62 and 65 respectively form the inner periphery of an annular turbine cavity designated generally by reference numeral 66. The outer periphery of the turbine cavity 66 is formed by the inner surface of the internal sleeve member 43. An elongated cylindrical sleeve 67 is provided with a radially inwardly extending collar 63 which is splined to the driven shaft 55 as indicated at 69. The sleeve 67 is provided with a radially outwardly extending iange '70 at its upper end and is threaded at its lower end for the purpose of receiving an external threaded nut 7l. The flange 'lll and nut 'Il hold in position on the sleeve 67 a plurality of stages of turbine blades 72 and their supporting collars 73 in alternate arrangement with spacer rings 74. The inner surface of the inner sleeve 43 is cut away as indicated at 75 for receiving supporting collars 76 for a plurality of stages of stator blades 77 and spacer collars 78. The spacer collars 78 retain the stator blades in the proper axial position relative to the turbine blades 72.

The annular members 52 and 44 are provided with axially aligned passages for permitting mud fluid to flow therethrough and this mud fluid passes from these passages into the turbine cavity 66. The flowing mud fluid is directed in such a manner by stator blades 77 as will cause it to impinge upon the sides of turbine blades 72 and thereby turn the turbine blades 72 and sleeve 67 together with driven shaft 55.

The mud uid pumped down through the drill pipe string 23 for the purpose of removing the formation fragments loosened from the bottom of the bore hole by the bit 36 contains more or less abrasive matter, somer of which is in the form of rather heavy and coarse abrasive particles. It has been found that these abrasive particles are particularly erosive on the stator blades 77 and turbine blades 72. It is therefore desirable, if possible, to remove these larger and heavier abrasive particles from the mud liuid before it passes the turbine and stator blades. Means for accomplishing this desirable result are disclosed herein and will now be described in detail.

The inner surface of the sleeve 43 is provided with a plurality of centrifuging blades 79 which are so shaped as to change the longitudinal motion of the flowing mud fluid through the turbine to a rotary motion. The heavier abrasive particles contained in suspension in the mud uid are thereby urged outwardly due to centrifugal action. The heavier particles thus tend to collect in a collector ring S0 formed on the inner surface of the sleeve i3 and rom the collector ring 9, the heavier abrasive particles pass outwardly through downwardly and outwardly extending grooves or passages 81, each of which communicates with a plurality of passagcs 82 cut out on the exterior surface of sleeve d3. At their lower ends the passages 82 communicate with radially inwardly and downwardly extending passages 83 formed in the annular member 46 and the passages S3, in turn, communicate with the main mud stream as it leaves the turbine cavity 66.

It is therefore apparent that the heavier and coarser particles maintained in suspension in the mud iluid are centrifuged out of the main mud flow by means of the centrifuging blades 79 and these particles are lay-passed around the turbine cavity 66 and the stator blades 77 and turbine blades 72 through the passages 82 whereupon the heavier and coarser particles reenter the mud iiow stream at a point downstream from the turbine cavity 66. As a result, the wear and abrasion on the turbine blades and stator blades is considerably decreased.

It is contemplated that numerous changes and modilications may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

l. A turbine adapted to be driven by a owing fluid having abrasive particles of varying sizes suspended therein and comprising concentric relatively rotatable radially spaced sleeve members which together denne aV turbine chamber, one of said relatively rotatable members including means defining iluid directing vanes and the other of said members including means defining turbine vanes for receiving energy from the fluid for driving said other member, said one member including means defining centrifuging blades for changing the direction of movement of the fluid so as to centrifuge out the heavier larger sized abrasive particles, and means for by-passing a portion of the fluid containing said larger sized particles past said Huid directing and turbine varies.

2. A turbine adapted to be driven by a ilowing lluid having abrasive particles of varying sizes suspended therein and comprising a relatively stationary housing for conveying the iluid therethrough, a driven shaft rotatably mounted within said housing, turbine and stator elements respectively carried by said driven shaft and said housing for driving said shaft, said housing including means for separating the larger sized abrasive particles from the flowing uid, and said housing further including means for by-passing the larger sized abrasive particles in the fluid around said turbine and stator elements for minimizing wear thereof due to abrasive action of the particles as the uid ows past said turbine and stator elements.

3. A turbine adapted to be driven by a flowing fluidhaving abrasive particles of varying sizes suspended therein and comprising a relatively stationary housing for conveying the lluid therethrough, a driven shaft rotatably mounted within said housing, turbine and stator elements respectively carried by said driven shaft and said housing for driving said driven shaft, said housing including means for centrifuging the fluid for thereby separating the larger sized abrasive particles from the flowing fluid, and means for by-passingthe larger sized abrasive particles inthe fluid around said turbine and stator elements for minimizing wear thereof due to abrasive action of the particles as the uid ows past said turbine and stator elements.

4. A turbine adapted to be driven by a flowing uid having abrasive particles of varying sizes suspended therein and comprising a relatively stationary housing for conveying the fluid therethrough, a driven shaft rotatably mounted Within said housing, turbine and stator blades respectively carried by said driven shaft and said housing for driving said driven shaft upon passage of the fluid through the turbine, said housing being formed with centrifuging blades thereon effective to centrifuge the fluid and thus separate the larger sized abrasive particles from the flowing fluid, and means for by-passing the larger sized abrasive particles in the uid around said turbine and stator elements for minimizing wear thereof due to abrasive action of the particles as the fluid ows past said turbine and stator elements.

5. A turbine adapted to be driven by a flowing fluid having abrasive particles of varying sizes suspended therein `and comprising a relatively stationary housing for conveying the fluid therethrough, a driven shaft rotatably mounted within said housing, turbine and stator blades respectively carried by said driven shaft and said housing for driving said driven shaft upon passage of the uid through the turbine, said h ousing being formed with centrifuging blades thereon effective to centrifuge the fluid and thus separate the larger sized abrasive particles from the flowing fluid, said housing including means disposed between said centrifuging blades and said turbine and stator blades and forming a collector ring for receiving said larger sized abrasive particles, and means in said housing defining passages extending from said collector ring and lay-passing said turbine and stator blades for enabling said larger sized particles to by-pass said turbine and stator blades and thus minimize wear thereof due to abrasive action of the particles as the uid flows past the turbine and stator blades.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 307,606 Westinghouse Nov. 4, 1884 1,482,702 Scharpenberg Feb. 5, 1924 2,554,005 Bodine May 22, 1951 2,628,819 Parsons Feb. 17, 1953 2,675,212 Parsons Apr. 13, 1954 

